Chance Encounter
by priestess.kiyoko
Summary: /Here's my first FSN fanfic! :) Let me know what you think. I'm not sure if I'm up to doing a continuation yet. In any case, I think there needs to be a little more Caster and Rider love around here ;) / "Even a witch can cry... She mused with a morose half-smile. I suppose it is only natural..." *Updates when possible, and rating may change*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Fell then, this is my first time writing a Fate/Stay Night fanfiction, so please tell me what you think! I think there needs to be a bit more Caster love around here ;)**

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The rain was pounding on the earth, drumming against the woman's cloak as she stumbled along, thoroughly soaking her. She already felt chilled to the bone... It made no difference that her skin was nigh on frozen from the cold and the rain. Vision blurring, she cursed the uneven terrain, lashing out at the obstacles in her way, but even her feet refused to obey her, to kick the pebbles from her path.

_Even mother Earth wishes for me to die... But I suppose it shouldn't be anything new for me... The Gods seem to like tampering with my life..._ Hands trembling, she gripped the rough bark of the trees as she hobbled along, the gnarled surface digging into her skin. She didn't care. Her mind was devoid of any emotion other than misery and bitterness. Head reeling, the forest trees swam in her sight, the subtle hues of green and brown, bleeding together. It was too much to ask, after all. She doubled-over, her initial strength quickly fading. She could already feel that her existence was nearing an end.

_I can't even feel half my body anymore... And the rest feels like I've been shot multiple times and then run over by cattle._ She couldn't control her movements much anymore so she collapsed on the filthy mixture of mud and rain. The viscous, clay-like mixture soiled her violet robes as she lay motionless on the ground, eyes feeling heavy.

_How pathetic I must look, the former Princess of Colchis... Of course, I am no more now... I'm probably not fit to even be her footstool. _She could not even muster the strength to hate the goddess that had wronged her. The familiar burning hatred she felt for the woman felt like a flickering flame on a dying candle right now. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she did not bother to stop it. The tears trailed down her aquiline nose, dripping to the earth. A drop in the ocean, she supposed.

_Even a witch can cry..._ She mused with a morose half-smile. _I suppose it is only natural..._ She was gazing blindly at the ground, the scent of a cleansed earth over-taking her senses. _Even though I really am trying to do my best..._ The small tuft of grass in front of her was fading in and out of her vision now. _I wonder why it is not allowed for me to be released from my sins..._

The wind was howling now, eventually whipping the hood of her robes back, long tresses tangling in a dangerous tango with the wind. The branches moaned and groaned, straining against the brute force of the wind. The world was harsh, she knew this. Perhaps she shouldn't have hoped that it would change, even if she was summoned to a different era. But the Grail...

A strange sensation nudged the back of her mind, alerting her of someone approaching, but her mind processed the information too slowly, for she was sluggish with fatigue. Besides, it wasn't as if she was in any condition to actually defend herself. She was at the interloper's mercy.

A warm sensation began slowly seeping into her joints, and surprisingly, it seemed to momentarily blot out the pain. A branch snapped as the person approached. The footfalls stopped, and a sharp gasp could be heard from the sudden intake of breath. It was just enough for her to barely raise her head by several inches to catch a glimpse of the person.

Strangely, the person ran to her side, kneeling, in utter disregard for dirtying her clothes, next to Caster. All she could really see was her knees, and that she was wearing a short skirt.

"I have to get you out of here." Came the worried voice.

_It sounds so... Inviting... And warm..._Those were the last conscious thoughts she had though, for the world then faded to black.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading, please leave a review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter~**

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When Caster finally woke up, she found herself to be in a well-furnished, Western-styled room. Her head faintly throbbed, as if someone had shoved a knife into it previously, but the pain was ebbing, ever so slowly. Her eyes were dry, and so was her mouth, tasting disgusting even to herself. Her tongue felt like sandpaper, and her throat was aggravatingly dry. Her limbs felt creaky and weak from the lack of use as well.

Caster's eyes slowly made out the white-washed ceiling before she bolted up-right in bed. Or at least, she tried to. She was less than half way up when the world was spinning around her again, and she felt like regurgitating everything she'd eaten since... _Since?_ She'd lost her sense of time, she realized. Medea wondered vaguely how long it had been since she was last awake, but this brought many un-answered questions to her muddled mind, and so she shoved it down for the time being.

This time, in a more conservative and cautious pace, she propped herself up on the bed, leaning back against pillows, arms a little wobbly. Her eyes scanned the room and widened marginally. The room was well-furnished, to say the least. Caster found herself to be tucked away comfortably in a massive four-poster bed. The sheets and blanket were a matching light blue. A nightstand occupied the space to her immediate right of the bed and a simple shaded lamp sat daintily on the oaken nightstand. Her eyes drifted to a door further right, and the window with drawn curtains, the drapes a deep royal blue on the adjacent wall. The far wall sported two bookshelves, and a working desk pushed up against the wall, with a chair tucked in. To her left was another door, but it was mainly dominated by something that looked to be a closet.

_Where am I...? Or better yet, am I seriously... alive? But how is that possible!?_ Caster stared down at her hands, they were trembling a bit, and she took a shaky breath. Her throat protested miserably, and her head was aching again. She flexed her fingers, and they seemed to be fine, but then she realized... Her usual attire was gone! The robes, when she panicked and her eyes darted around, were found to be folded impeccably, and placed on the left nightstand, and she stared at it. Her face flushed at the implication that someone had undressed her, as she looked down once again, finding herself to be in a lavender-coloured night gown. It was a silken in texture, lying lightly and comfortably against her skin. _Was it that girl...? I didn't even get a good look at her face... But I know that her knees were a bit discoloured from what seemed to be bruises... I wonder-_

Her head was racing once again. What if she was just being kept alive to be used as a puppet or a tool again? A shiver shot up her spine, and her eye brows knit together. _No... I have to escape... I must presume the Holy Grail war is still ongoing, and someone will attack me shortly... What if she intends to have me-_ Her eyes widened yet again at another realization. _Where is Rule Breaker!?_

Now she was really panicking. Her heart thundered against her ribcage, as if with prolonged effort, it could escape its confinement, like a wild mustang. Caster threw off the covers, but found her limbs to be quite unresponsive, and heavy. _Why now!? _Even her arms protested from such a sudden movement, as simple as it was. Reluctantly, she dragged the covers back over herself, as the sudden lack of warmth had her body wracked with shivers.

Her face twisted into a frown, before a familiar sensation crept into the back of her mind. It was the same presence she felt shortly after 'the' person arrived. Her saviour. _Well, the lady, at the least. But that's all I could tell from the state I was in._ Then she heard the footsteps. Incredible. If it was indeed the same person, Caster felt her presence precede her physical presence... This set alarm bells off in her head, for the person approaching was undoubtedly powerful. Even in a healthy state, Medea wondered if she would be able to beat her, one-on-one. She was defenceless... Rule Breaker was nowhere in sight, and she was one of the 'weaker' servant classes to be summoned. If it had been a human, she would've over-powered them forcefully or seduced them otherwise, but seeming as neither was the case...

However, even as the pure, and immensely powerful presence crept into her mind, the sound of stomping reached her ears first, leading her to think more than one person was approaching. This was confirmed when the ferocious stomping on the wooden floor was matched with a thundering voice that was clearly irritated. What on earth could they be so angry about, so early in the day?

Caster's eyes widened, as the beastly stomping and yelling approached: "How long!?" demanded the gruff voice, and a shiver shot up her spine. She could feel the mal-intent even from this distance, and the pure malice and sinister tone reverberated in her skull like a jack hammer. _Disgusting..._ She thought to herself as his bestial voice screeched again: "How long have you kept her here! Why haven't you told me!? You're not supposed to be looking after anyone but me!"

Caster started, realizing that the man was angry at her... And above all, angry at the woman that had brought her here. She saw red for a moment, crimson tendrils bordering her vision. She felt the sudden urge to lash out at him, whoever it was, and however powerful he was; but alas, she was still far too weak, and her previous master had limited the amount of power she could have... Her painted lips curved into a deep frown before another voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Please! I-I'll make it up to you, I promise!" The woman's voice was desperate, pleading the other to stop his tirade, but as Caster had suspected, his footsteps neither slowed, or decreased in volume, and neither did his voice. Both only increased in volume until they stopped neatly at her bedroom door. Judging only by his stiff and calculated walking, he was a pragmatic man, that always meant business.

Caster stiffened in her bed, the sheets tightening in her vice-like grip as the door slammed open, creaking on the hinges, bringing in a small draft.

"Hnn~!" The man sneered, continuing to jeer at the woman even in the presence of an audience. "As if you would ever willingly-" The man stopped mid-sentence to glance at the bed, and he did a double-take.

The man was still in a business attire, his pristine, jet-black suit paired with a blood-red, crimson tie. His hair was cropped short, and slicked to the side, with a rugged, handsome face. However, that only served to make the piercing chocolate brown eyes and derisive sneer all the more out of place, as it was a stark contrast to his well-kept features. Certainly, he was a good-looking man, but... She wasn't interested in men. Not in the slightest. And especially so when his scowl turned to one of interest, and then into one of unbridled lust. Caster immediately shrunk back into the bed. _The nerve of him!_

"Oh~? Interesting..." The man said, voice now velvety smooth, ghosting over her skin like a slimy snake. Undoubtedly, simply the baritone of his voice would hold such an alluring charm that woman would swoon at the first syllable he spoke, completely captivated. Caster knew better. Men were conniving bastards. They knew how to manipulate a woman's fragile heart.

The woman, from what Caster could tell, was the same person from before that had saved her, and she ran in front of him, barricading his path with arms outstretched. However, with her head somewhat bowed, as if afraid to meet his scrutinizing gaze, it looked more to be someone who was about to be crucified on a wooden cross, giving a feeble last stand. Her heart went out to the woman, although she could only see her back-side. She could tell that the lady had a slender, but athletic build to her.

Her raven black hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she could not make out her face clearly from when she whirled around. She did, however, manage to see her chocolate brown eyes, which showed undivided and whole-hearted kindness, but was hard around the edges, as if... as if she'd suffered through many events. _Well I can relate to that..._ Caster mused cryptically, forcing down a dry laugh.

Now, her eyes were also marred with fear, and terror for the man before her. Medea's throat felt like it would kill her first, if he did not do the honours. She was wearing a dainty white blouse, paired with an emerald green skirt. She wasn't sure what she wore on her feet, but judging from the sound of the footfalls before, she was probably wearing something without heels. She'd already taken in nearly the whole of her anyways. She could close her eyes, and in her mind, she would be able to picture the girl rather accurately.

"Please, d-don't-! L-Leave her alone! I-I'll satisfy you instead!" She offered, causing Caster to stare horrified at the trembling girl. Her saviour was offering to take her place... for something abominable. Anger lapped at her, like a jock's whip, but she was still helpless in bed. She wasn't sure if it was just pure evil malice emanating off of the man, or if it was something else, but his presence was asphyxiating. She did, however, take note that the girl provided her with some comfort with her presence, as if it were a tonic. The two's aura were clashing in a frightening whirlwind of force.

"You didn't say that she was... attractive... sexy, even. Is that why you brought her here, you queer of a wench!?" Caster swallowed a scathing remark. She wagered her cracking voice, from disuse, wouldn't do the girl much justice. She shivered once again when he smirked, and she cursed her bed-ridden state. "Oh, is that so...? Then let's see how good of job you can do... If you succeed in satisfying me, I'll leave her alone, for today."

Even without seeing her face, Medea could tell that the woman probably had at least a horrified expression on her face. Or at least, she hoped so. If she'd gotten so used to it that she didn't react to it anymore, then it would most certainly be worse... Even as she quivered on the spot, the noticeably older man approached her, gripping her by the face roughly. He shoved her down by the head with his massive paws. Her knees hit the floor with a resounding, and sickening smack, finally enlightening Caster as to why the woman had bruises on her knees.

The man's face twisted into an impatient and condemning jeer, as he reached down to unbuckle his belt, allowing his pants to drop and pool in a ring at his feet. He gripped the belt with his left in a death-grip, as if he would use it as a whip.

Caster was positively revolted. She could feel the bile hitting the back of her throat, threatening to spill onto the sheets at the sight. She was certain that she was quickly paling in the face at the dreadful sight.

"Well!? What are you waiting for!?" The man threatened, raising his right hand to slap her. His hand came down in an arc, aimed for the woman's cheek, and it all panned out in slow motion to Medea.

_I-I have to do something! I can't just sit here, and just... Just watch it all happen! _She lurched forwards under the bed covers, but she didn't even move an appreciable distance. She was nearly in the same spot, even as her limbs screamed in agony from the sudden jolt. _I need- I need someone who can help... Someone who will understand her plight. Someone who's similar, and knows what's happening to her... I have to summon-!_

A magic circle erupted from her seated figure, and before the man could even look up, a sharp pain invaded his striking hand, completely and effectively stopping his movements. Immediately withdrawing it, blood was seen, oozing from the wound, with a sharp dagger protruding from it. His left dropped the belt, and grasped tightly to his right wrist, as he staggered back, hollering and howling in pain. His eyes narrowed in fury on the woman who had thrown the dagger, connected by a chain.

Caster cracked open an eye lid before her eyes snapped open at the sight. She was still panting and heaving a bit from the exertion, chest rising and falling rapidly, as a thin sheen of sweat coated her skin. Her vision was beginning to blur once again from the fatigue. There she stood, another servant. Silken, plum-coloured hair flowed down far past her waist and to the floor in its absurd length, completely obscuring from view, what the servant actually looked like from behind. What she could make out, and hear, was the clinking of chains, and the dagger, with more resemblance of a nail, which was embedded deep into the man's hand, that had started to bleed profusely. She found some perverse glee in seeing him suffer such, as a small price to pay. _He deserves it._

Even though she couldn't see much anymore, now that yet another person was standing in her vision, she could literally smell the blood that came radiating off of the servant before her. She shivered in excitement and anticipation, but pushed the thought aside when the man gave an ear-piercing yell.

"Y-You monster! Y-You freak!" He bolted from the room, and the servant yanked the nail free of his hand, leaving him to retreat, arguably faster than a thousand harpies after his life. _Not that he would know what harpies are, but still.. those harpies were such pests..._

The lady had stumbled back so fast so as to avoid her stumbling torturer, that she tripped a bit on the rug, flying back, only to land into the servant's arms, holding her flush against her chest.

A soft 'oof' flew from the woman's lips, but the servant absorbed the fall's impact, standing stalk still, and still deathly quiet. From what Caster could tell, the servant and the woman were standing directly chest-to-back, and a soft roseate hue dusted her cheeks at the thought.

This seemed to trigger some response from the otherwise frightened girl, as she wriggled a bit to break free of her temporary captor. It was not the frantic struggle of a trapped mouse in a cat's paws awaiting demise, but one that betrayed a bit of impatience to see who it was that was holding her so gently. She twisted in the servant's arms, and came face-to-face with yet another breath-taking beauty. This one, however, wore a mask that covered about half of her face, leaving much to the imagination. Even so, the blood rushed to her face, painting her face a dark roseate hue, as her eyes darted to the woman on the bed, and she promptly fell limp in the servant's arms, falling unconscious.

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**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the read :) Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! :)**

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There was a short, awkward silence, as the thundering, cacophonous voice ebbed into the dampening walls. He had tripped and stumbled, in his haste to escape, forgetting the belt he previously held, on the floor. For a terrible moment, not a breath was heard from the figures before Caster. When the world seemed to resume once again, she released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

The plum-haired servant turned around slowly, and when their eyes finally met, well, when her eyes saw her, she needed to do a double-take too. The servant before her was most certainly beautiful, and everything about her was sensual, from the way she stood and carried herself, to the way the girl's body was held against her: a little too close for her liking.

A wave of a heat lapped at her from the sight, her cheeks flushed a darker shade, but she remained silent for the time-being, as much as she wanted to tear the two apart, for some unknown reason.

The servant provoked the image of everything black. Her black sleeveless and strapless dress hugged her body so tightly, that it seemed to be a second skin. Satin-like hair curtained around her, seemingly shielding out the exterior, framing her face perfectly like a picture, or wok of art.

_Well, she is really something... _Her eyes ascended from the toned thighs, shapely hips, generous bosom, slender neck, to the sculpted jaw-line, luscious lips and aquiline nose. What caught her eye, however, was the mask that covered nearly half of her face. _Could it be a power that she needs to seal...?_

But before she could open her mouth to ask, the servant spoke first: "I am the servant Rider, are you my master?" She drawled in a sultry tone.

A shiver immediately shot up her spine. The voice was delightfully attractive, and simply seductive, whether Rider had intended it to be so or not. But, it seemed to be on purpose, although it came naturally to her. While the man's voice had been unpleasantly slimy, ghosting over exposed skin, Rider's was silken, a tantalizing and enchanting pitch, inducing anticipation and excitement. Or perhaps arousal.

It was almost too much all at once, for Caster. Both ladies were unbearably beautiful, but what was baffling was how ethereal the girl seemed in Rider's embrace, even though she seemed human on the exterior, through and through.

Medea cleared her throat awkwardly, the sound slightly echoing in the room as she answered firmly: "Yes. I am your Master."

Rider could've been staring incredulously at Caster, and she would never know. It was a bit frightening, when an image of a miko-clothed Rider stained crimson with blood invaded her mind.

"Are you not a-" Rider began.

Caster sighed, immediately cutting her off. She knew she was would be questioned for this. "...not a regular master? Correct. I am Servant Caster. I am akin to the definition of a magus today, but on a vastly different level. That is why I am able to summon you as a Servant."

The answer was more than satisfactory, so Rider nodded, opening her mouth to respond when the woman in her arms began to stir, causing her stop.

Her eyes fluttered open, and both servants zeroed in on her face. If they stared hard enough, they could see her long eyelashes quiver with each blink. The lady's eyebrows knotted together as if in deep thought, as the heel of her palms attempted to rub her eyes to clear her vision. When she finally opened her eyes like it did, however, her eyes snapped open even wider, briefly startling the two.

"Aiyah, how clumsy of me!" She commented wistfully, as if she were a maid that had forgotten to dust off a speck of dust on the cupboards. This was before she swerved into an entirely different direction. "Goodness! I can't believe he would-" She blushed in utter embarrassment before struggling in Rider's arms a bit to turn her body around. "He didn't hurt you two, did he?!"

_Wow._ Both servants simultaneously thought. _She's so scatter-brained right now..._ Their lips curled into a smirk. _But it's endearing nonetheless._ A light rosy dusted their cheeks when her jaws fell slack at the predicament she was in. It seemed she was finally starting to remember why she'd passed out in the first place, and her cheeks lit up a cherry red.

Eventually, however, she did gather her wits rather quickly, and plastered on a warm smile. It looked so natural that any other expression other than joy and happiness seemed out of place. And, both Caster and Rider wanted to keep it that way. The brilliant smile on her face told many tales, but they would ask another time.

She straightened and dusted her self off, Rider finally loosening her grasp on the other, much to Caster's relief, and she moved by Caster's side to stand by the bed.

The woman cleared her throat once again and bowed to the two of them, bending at her slender waist. "I hope you're comfortable, the two of you. But, I recall that I'd only brought one person in here, unless my eyes deceive me?"

"You're right." Caster answered immediately, "but I had called upon a friend... So it was you who brought me here?" She hoped that the other wouldn't question how someone had appeared out of thin air, and would accept the explanation. Regardless, she steered the conversation somewhere else.

The unknown woman nodded. "Yes, I did. And it is a pleasure to have met the two of you. If anything, your beauty confirmed my suspicions that you're not from this time. I was trying to heal you more, but now it seems that you only need mana and rest." She stated matter-o-factly.

The flirting sounded so natural that it caught them off guard, sending the blood to their faces. But, this also caused Rider to quirk an eyebrow at the woman who was still beaming at her and Caster, and when she turned, she could see a surprised and mirrored expression on Caster's face too.

"H-How do you know about-?" Medea trailed off.

"Fear not, I'm not an actual magus. I do, however, know of Divine or Heroic Spirits that appear from time-to-time. I do not know the circumstances or means that this came to be, but their presence usually precedes destruction." She said with a morose smile now, her eyes seeming to cloud over into a murky brown before clearing. "But the two of you, I can tell, are Divine Spirits, even though I have never seen the likes of you before."

She seemed to take a short breather here, and Rider eyed her intently, as if gauging something, but judging by her level of ease, Caster was not concerned that the still un-named woman before them would hurt them. Or a fly, for that matter.

_The problem is, that either she's unaware of her demanding presence, or she feels no need to hide it. She will be mistaken for a Master soon enough, and she'll be killed. _This caused her brows to dip, face pulling into a frown at the thought. _This woman protected and healed me, obviously she is powerful, so it would be senseless, stupid and flat out rude to allow her to die... But it seems that she's not aware of the Holy Grail Wars either..._

Now that the woman was finally standing still before her, Caster found it difficult to take her eyes off of her. But at the same time, she felt the need to look away too, for her beauty was so over-whelming, that she felt ashamed to face her head-on, and look her in the eye. She could hardly believe that this was the same frightened and disgraced woman from before. Her eyes studied and observed the woman as much as her conflicting emotions allowed, and decided that she was not from the area, and actually didn't even look Japanese to begin with.

The woman's melodic voice sliced through her thoughts like warm cheese, bringing her back to reality. "I recall having met someone that went by the name of Diarmuid once, and he was a Lancer. I was visiting at the time, and left before a fire levelled the city. I never did hear from him again..." She commented with a frown on her face. "He said I reminded her of a someone in his past."

It wasn't really one of attraction, but one of utter concern and sincere worry. Medea vaguely wondered how it was that she could've lived after having seen a Servant from the previous Grail War. And, above all, why Lancer even needed to see her to begin with.

"Ah, how rude of me!" The woman exclaimed, managing to grab a hold of their attention once again. "I haven't gotten your names yet either! Let me see..."

She closed her eyes and nothing seemed to happen until Rider stiffened momentarily before relaxing, her shoulders visibly loosening up. Medea was about to ask when the woman spoke.

"Ah~! Caster and Rider!" She said in a delighted manner, as if supremely excited, eliciting a wide-eyed look from the two. "My name is 貂蟬, or Diaochan, since the two of you don't seem to speak Chinese. My friends call me 楊玉環, or Yang Guifei. What're your names?"

Barely a moment had passed when Rider cast a side-long glance at Caster while she nodded, prompting Medea to feel more at ease about the ordeal of revealing their true names. Since she too had no qualms with giving away her name, Caster nodded. She was not expecting, however, the answer that flew past painted lips.

"Medusa." replied Rider, as Caster's eyes shot open.

_What? Medusa? That's just preposterous that the two of us have been summoned at the same time!_

"I expected as much." Diaochan smiled warmly, completely uncaring of the legends. She maintained eye contact with where Rider's eyes were approximately and she closed the distance, offering her hand in handshake.

It was firm and short, and it left her bewildered. Did she WANT to be petrified? She was not left to her own thoughts for long either, when it was Medusa's turn to stiffen when Caster whispered her name: "Medea."

This didn't seem to bother Diaochan though, even as she released Medusa's hand to handshake with Caster.

Again, Diaochan offered a friendly handshake, the polite introductions having finally been dealt with.

_Her hands are so invitingly warm,_ they realized with little variance, a bit of a contrast to her weary face. Although she seemed to be young, she was one that definitely worked hard, and often. Both wondered what the mysterious woman was like.

"What a real treat, then, to be graced by two renowned Greek beauties. It is truly a pleasure to meet you both, once again."

Both Medea and Medusa were, yet again, astounded at her lack of fear for their past. One was a 'witch' and the other, a 'monster'... Surely, she knew of this?

"What's wrong?" Diaochan asked, seeing the two in a flabbergasted state. "Did I do something weird?"

"In a sense, yes..." Rider drawled.

"You aren't afraid of... us?" You do know who we are, right?" Caster finished, clearly not understanding.

"Why yes, of course I do!" Diaochan exclaimed a bit indignantly. "You are Medea, Princess of Colchis, and you are Medusa, mortal of the three Gorgon sisters. And what's wrong with that?" She said, beginning an impassioned speech. "If you're referring to what people have called you, I frankly do not care less. I think highly of the two of you. I do not believe that you-" she nodded towards Caster, "-are a witch. Not remotely! I haven't heard of something more ridiculous! It was never you fault, and besides... I understand what it feels like to be blamed for things that you didn't have control over, or that you didn't do." She hurried along to nod in Rider's direction, as if to avoid delving into her own life too soon by continuing quickly with Medusa: "and you were forced into something you didn't want either. I can definitely relate to that."

A despondent smile painted her face as she spoke of the embarrassing spectacle that had happened not more than a half hour ago, and Medusa, too, flinched at the familiarity of the memory.

Both Caster and Rider were very pleased to hear this, but were troubled that a "non-magus" had known so much about Spirits and Servants, and now, only knew of them even more. The real issue now, was whether or no to bring her into the whole mess of the Holy Grail War. Without Diaochan, or a master, neither would be able to last for more than a day or two. That is, of course, if they did not resort to more... cruel and drastic methods.

Caster noticed, that with her close proximity, Diaochan was definitely the source of her physical comfort. Her aura lapped at her like calm waves, as she allowed it, and the longer she stayed, the less heavy her limbs felt, and the world had already stopped spinning too. She also knew that simply being in her presence, both her 'strength' and 'luck' were improved. Of the others, she wasn't sure yet, but if Diaochan were her master, there would be no need to sacrifice innocent people. Medea was sure Medusa felt it too, as her lips were curved up in a ghost of a smile. Seeming as Rider was contracted to her, she would be able to tell if her Master was getting stronger or weaker. As it were, she too could feel the positive effects of Diaochan's presence.

_Where have I heard of the name before...?_ The two mused before finally, Caster decided to break the comfortable silence.

"Diaochan, is there anything you've ever wished whole-heartedly for?"

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! And like I said, please do leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the lag in update everyone! Unfortunately, school is busy, and the new semester is daunting, thus far. I've spent he break between semesters writing this, so I hope this is acceptable. Without further adieu, I present to you, the fourth chapter.**

**~~~~~~ [ For some odd reason, I can't find the line break button anymore...? o.o So I'll just use this. ] ~~~~~~**

"I'm sorry, I believe I don't quite understand..." Diaochan trailed off, eyebrows knitting together in the process. "Something I wish for...?"

Rider nodded in assent and Caster continued, "I mean, is there something that you really want or want to happen? Something that wouldn't be possible without it being, say, a miracle? Or without the help of magic?"

Diaochan's lips formed a perfect 'o' as she realized what the two were alluding to. "Sorry, that was a bit out of the blue for me, so I didn't catch on... Wish? Well, I suppose. I mean, don't we all? We all have something we desperately want or need."

The question was rhetorical, of course, but she found herself wanting to know more about the two when a despondent look flashed across their eyes, the moment she made a mention of it. Since she had first stepped into the room today, a strange sense of ease had settled over her. Which, of course, was rather absurd, namely because of the situation that had brought her to the room in the first place.

It was humiliating to say the least, but unfortunately, that was not the first time it had happened. She had hoped to keep that part of her life hidden from her visitor for as long as possible, but alas, that plan was ground to dust. Not only that, but it seemed that her patient, per se, had another 'friend' help save her, instead. And so, not one, but two, saw the whole debacle.

Perhaps melting into a puddle and disappearing forever would be a suitable answer to all her problems. That sounded rather appealing. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. _Don't be silly._ she berated herself, _it wouldn't be possible anyways..._

Diaochan cleared her throat, crossing both arms under her ample chest as she spoke once more. "Why would you ask something so implausible anyways? Miracles are unlikely to happen. What I want isn't worthy of notice in comparison to what God must answer to."

Rider's eyebrows knitted together. _So, she's religious, I suppose... But-_

"But what if I told you such a thing really could happen?" Caster explained, alerting Rider of her eagerness to have Diaochan join their side. "Are you not curious as to how Medusa suddenly appeared? You know the supernatural can occur. Surely you believe that much?"

Diaochan nodded slowly. "I suppose if you put it like that... So you're saying, supernatural forces are at work here in this city?" There was no use denying that much.

"Magic." Rider corrected, causing Diaochan's eye brows to shoot up, obscured by her bangs.

"Magic...?" She parroted, the word rolling off her tongue like it was jargon she'd never heard of before. "Just, like... poof? How do you expect me to believe that?"

"We'll explain it to you." Caster asserted, startling Diaochan with her determination. Why was it that the other was so determined to convince her...?

"Uhm, alright..." Diaochan nodded for her to begin, prompting Caster to give Rider a side-long look, who, nodded imperceptibly at the cue. A little bit of... convincing, should do. They were great at _convincing_ and _persuading_, after all.

"How do you suppose we even exist? We're the real figures from history or classical mythology books, you know." Caster began, eliciting the desired reaction from Diaochan once more.

Out of habit, her teeth worried her bottom lip, pulling it in a bit as she thought. Rather sensually, if you asked the two servants. "Well, perhaps... Maybe through-"

"Reincarnation?" Rider supplied, to which Diaochan hesitantly nodded. "No, because we never _really_ existed to begin with."

"We exist in folklore, and myths, passed on, originally, by word of mouth. Besides, I thought you don't believe in such things...?"

"Christianity doesn't," Diaochan amended, but my mother raised me differently, so perhaps... Perhaps..." People needed to be more open-minded? And now wasn't that applicable to nearly everything...?

"Nonsense." Caster cut in immediately. "Believe what you will, but ponder it. We were given birth through literature, and summoned by _someone_. As such, we must also be sustained by _someone_. Why do you think you met Lancer in the past? Surely, you could tell that he was not entirely human? Why do you think he appeared?"

Caster gave a short pause for it all to sink in, seeing as Diaochan was delving deeper into the reasoning for all these explanations. She could almost see the wheels turning in the woman's head, churning out various ideas and answers, only to be rejected and replaced by more absurd ones. "There is a reason we-" Caster gestured to Rider and herself, " -appear in the world. We are summoned to fight to the death for one of our wishes to be granted. Only the victor may have the privilege, however, so we fight for the coveted prize. As you've mentioned, we all have something we desire."

At the mention of violence and death, Diaochan blanched, the colour draining from her face immediately.

"Fight...? To the death...?" She echoed, petrified by the idea that such a horrendous thing existed. _Fight to the death... All for one wish? How is that even worth it? To physically kill someone..._ Diaochan shivered at the thought. _I can see how tempting it would be... Something so formidable as to be able to give physical shape and form to historical figures, and even fictional ones... It has to be real, the power is undeniable... But isn't that too good to be true? Shouldn't the power be shared then? At least to bring an end to this gruesome fight? And how often does such a fight occur?_ Every fibre of her being was wholly against such a violent exploit. She had devoted her life to the exact opposite of robbing someone of their life, after all.

Diaochan glared at the floor, staring through it as she continued to sort out her thoughts. Things were starting to fall into place: all the strange encounters, coincidental happenings... She had written them off due to a lack of evidence, and had dismissed the thoughts as folly. In retrospect, she should've listened to her intuition.

"So..." Diaochan finally spoke once more, swallowing thickly, and breaking the spell as Rider and Caster had been staring slightly, and intently at her, like trying to read a particularly difficult textbook, and now listened avidly. "This... Wish-granting thing..." She began, "What is it exactly?"

"The Holy Grail." Both servants answered immediately in chorused unison.

"I should've suspected as much..." Diaochan muttered under her breath, unaware both could hear her just fine. It was like a tale straight from a book... much like the figures before her. "And how does the Holy Grail determine who gets the wish?"

"A fight to the death. The victor receives the prize." Rider echoed.

"Amongst seven pairs of people. The victor will be allowed to touch the Grail." Caster continued, much to Diaochan's chagrin. Arguably, she was progressively paler, rivalling the colour of sour cream. "Seven worthy Masters are selected to fight in what is called, the Holy Grail War, and the Grail aids in summoning a Servant for each Master. The Servants are reincarnations of legendary heroes from all time, be it from folklore or history. These resurrected souls possess superhuman characteristics and wield powerful artefacts or abilities called Noble Phantasms, symbols of their heroism during life. The Master summons a Servant from only one of the seven classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Berserker, Rider, Assassin, and Caster, each representing their distinctive role in battle..."

The longer the two alternately explained, the worse Diaochan felt about it. _How can something that claims to grant a wish, be the source of so much bloodshed? If its only purpose was to grant a wish, it should not require such bloodshed. Surely, there are other ways to garner magical power to summon the Grail? It would take time, yes, but at the least, lives would be spared! There is no way the original Grail was like this... or were we all fools, deceived by words?_

Diaochan hated the thought of killing, and with the sudden deluge of information, her thoughts whizzed about in her head, crashing and exploding in an ever-more frantic frenzy. A noticeable pressure seeped into and permeated the room, pinning them down to the spot, as if gravity had changed in its strength. Rider and Caster immediately stopped, feeling the change in the atmosphere before the pressure settled, eyes widening at Diaochan, who looked supremely distressed. Was it her doing? It seemed so.

"Why would such an evil thing exist?!" She whispered quietly, more to herself than anything. "How can this even be allowed to exist?!" She demanded of no one. "I can't wish for something so selfishly, knowing the road was made possible by the blood of others. Everything I could possibly wish for pales in comparison to the-"

And just like that, the pressure disappeared as Diaochan cut herself off. She wasn't stupid. It was a wish. Many a man or woman would at least wish for material goods, or even supernatural powers and immortality. It was only natural, to want an escape from a painful and miserable life, even a mundane and meaningless one. That was not including all the ways one could obtain power over others, and it was certainly an attractive prospect. Who knew what the other Masters were like? She would very much hope for death instead, if a blood-thirsty, power-hungry psychopath nabbed the Grail for his personal use. It would be utter chaos, and dystopia would be the norm. She wouldn't allow it. She couldn't allow it! Secretly, she too, had a desire of her own, and yet, so did the others who participated. That wish was held so dear to her. Suppose, all the others had one like her? She could understand why they would fight so viciously over it.

Diaochan surprised the two in steeling her nerves, a determined expression on her face. "You mentioned that you are Servants... Where are you Masters now?"

"I was summoned by Caster, so she sustains me." Rider explained to her in a heart beat. She too, wished to know how it was Caster was summoned, if she was powerful enough to sustain a full Servant.

"And I was summoned by another mage... But he has since passed away..." Caster trailed off mischievously. Things were running smoothly as of yet, and soon, she would have Diaochan's... assistance? partnership? affection? Nonsense.

Caster's brows stitched together, lips pursed. In an effort to enlist her help, she'd forgotten what exactly she was originally asking from her. But, now that Diaochan seemed thoroughly convinced to help, it seemed like the original reason and outcome she wanted, was to be _near_ Diaochan. More accurately, it felt like a need to be with her, to have her by their side. Perhaps it was a means for her to thank the kind-hearted woman.

Caster saw Rider shift imperceptibly in her peripheral vision, and knew she thought the same as well. Her eyes dropped from Diaochan's eyes, drifting lower, lingering on her lips as she talked, and eventually down to her bosom and back. Something seemed to click into place, and a sly smile crept onto her face before she interrupted Diaochan delicately, shortening her breathing rate gradually, as if she'd recently ran a race, or physically exerted herself.

"It's difficult for Servants to stay in this world without someone to provide them mana. The Grail summons us, providing a vessel for us, but it is up to the Master to sustain them and replenish lost mana. And seeming as I not only have to sustain myself, but one other too, I have a rather large burden as compared to others."

Caster's cheeks were flushed now, which was surprisingly easy to attain and sustain, prompting Diaochan to immediately rush on to the bed with no regards whatsoever to protocol or whatnot. She sat seiza style right beside Caster, hands gently cupping her flushed face with genuine worry etched all over. She had mentioned that her own Master had passed away, so there was no source of power for Caster, and... she feared that whatever happened to her if she still continued on without 'mana,' something grave would transpire. She wasn't sure she wanted something else etched into her conscience...

When Caster squirmed a bit, feigning an escape, much to Rider's amusement, Diaochan leaned forward, swinging one leg over Caster's and straddled her on the waist, pinning both of her arms down.

"Wait, quit struggling! What can I do to help you? I'd hate to see you in any kind of pain, and I certainly don't think you are in any condition to be moving around so much, if what you say is true. I'm willing to try anything!"

_Bingo._ Caster and Rider thought.

**~~~~~~ [ Line Break ] ~~~~~~**

**A/N: And there you have it. So as usual, please let me know what you thought in a review. I really lose steam when I don't get feedback.**

**Also, what do you guys think should happen next? Should they perhaps, you know...? Well, if you don't, then God bless your innocent soul. Or, just carry on with the story line~? Again, let me know in a review~!**


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